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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — low music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a music group
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — the cause
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pound — a weight

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com